ATDDTA(10) A Screaming Comes Across The Creek [294-295]

[kelber at mindspring.com]

One reason for TRP picking on the Finns is that while Finns-as-immigrants may have had a tough time in this country, Finns-as-Finns have not.  That is, so far as I know, they've never been singled out as the target of specific discrimination ( "No Irish Need Apply," active discrimination against Jews, internment of Japanese-Americans, slavery and Jim Crow, on and on...).  So Pynchon can use Finn jokes to satirize racial humor without playing into it.  That certainly doesn't mitigate the hurt you feel.  Similar to the Monty Python contest to come up with a derogatory name for Belgians.  It was making a similar point, but I'm sure Belgians are less amused.

Laura

-----Original Message-----
>From: bekah <bekah0176 at sbcglobal.net>

>
>You're both suggesting that I'm being over-sensitive,  perhaps I am. 
>(I've been called worse.)   If the the humor was aimed at Indians, 
>which would have been appropriate to the geographical area,  (a few 
>drunken Indians in the barrooms or along Main Street or selling 
>stuff)  it probably would  not have been funny.  Would the response 
>to someone noticing that  have been,  "Comedy can be cruel and life 
>unfair. "?    I doubt it - but perhaps.    Yes,  I understand the 
>difference - Indian history since 1492  has not been a success story 
>and that group cannot afford continued character assassination or 
>stigmatization in any form.
>
>So I'm not really that aggravated.  It was basically something I 
>noticed and thought "wait a minute, here. What's with the 
>Finn-jokes?"    The Finn humor does come up over and over (unlike the 
>Japanese) and it's directed toward them as a group,  not as 
>individual characterizations of stereotypes (Oscar Wilde/ N & N).   I 
>guess he poked the Jews via a character  with the scene in Africa. 
>I can't remember the Russian humor - was there a whole lot of it? 
>But I mentioned the ski thing to my mom and sister on a long car 
>drive yesterday and they both thought it was hilarious.
>
>Bekah
>
>